STEVE Bruce had warned us all about this. Until promotion is cut and dry, the threat of a "sick and horrible twist" lurks in every fixture.
And so the Hull City manager's words were made to look uncomfortably prophetic on a night few expected at the KC Stadium.
Just as automatic promotion to the Premier League was beginning to look like an effortless formality, City are again hoping for another favour from a Championship rival this afternoon.
Failing to beat Bristol City last night, a side already relegated to League One, the Tigers have left the door open for Watford to slash the points difference to just four with victory over Blackburn Rovers.
Only this evening will the true damage from the KC Stadium's penultimate fixture be fully known, but this was a sloppy stumble for Bruce's men at just the wrong moment.
Suffocated by nerves and aimless in attack, the Tigers were guilty of fluffing their lines for the second time in four days.
Just as they had been found wanting at Wolves on Tuesday night, falling to a 1-0 loss in the Black Country, City could not find a way past a Bristol City side that has leaked 77 goals this season.
Only David Meyler's stoppage time opportunity, beaten away by goalkeeper Tom Heaton, threatened to ever deliver the win that East Yorkshire expected.
It could yet be a priceless point, of course. Should Watford lose at home to Blackburn Rovers this afternoon and Crystal Palace fail to beat Leicester, champagne corks will be popping by 5pm.
But, as Bruce has bemoaned in recent weeks, City appear allergic to the easy way.
It was not a night for the faint-hearted and Bruce attempted to rise to the occasion with a tactical gamble of his own.
Bringing in Matty Fryatt for his first league start in almost 12 months in an attacking partnership with Gedo, a striker not without his own recent injuries concerns, the City boss was unwilling to tread carefully around a Bristol City side relegated to League One in midweek.
With George Boyd also included in a reshaped midfield, the onus was clearly on attacking in numbers.
Yet beyond the odd fleeting moment, the Tigers consistently lacked guile and incision inside the final third.
Fryatt spurned half a chance inside the opening 30 seconds when seeing the ball become stuck between his feet inside the area and, defending deep and in numbers, the visitors were unexpectedly comfortable.
One of the few occasions City managed to open up their guests was when Gedo was found down the right channel by David Meyler's pass from deep. A run in behind promised a chance but Boyd's attempt from 15 yards out was quickly blocked.
Although few had even considered the possibility of Bristol City gatecrashing the party, a half-chance was a reminder of the threat posed on David Stockdale's goal. Neil Kilkenny's deep cross found Steven Davies and it needed a back-post block from James Chester to keep the Robins at bay.
The longer the Tigers probed without a break, the more anxious an expectant crowd grew.
Robbie Brady's speculative shot from 20 yards failed to find the target, but he was at least the one source of irritation for the hapless visitors.
The left wing-back's persistence in chasing down a hopeful cross-field ball granted him a fortuitous run into the area. Instead of testing Tom Heaton, though, his ill-advised attempts to find a team-mate were blocked. Stephen Quinn latched onto the resultant ball only to fire harmlessly over.
Another opportunity fell to Gedo when meeting Quinn's ball in from the right but that Heaton made it to half-time without having to make a save spoke volumes of City's shortcomings.
The Tigers were in need of a second-half spark to quieten the nervous murmurs. One telling moment was all it needed.
Bristol City, meanwhile, could be content with their night's work and pushed tentatively for a goal of their own after the break. Stockdale dealt with Albert Adomah's low shot well enough but pushing a low cross into possible trouble, the keeper also caused the odd heart to flutter momentarily.
By the time the hour mark had arrived, Bruce could be seen urging his side to resist panic. And with good reason. Boyd's ignorance to a stray pass invited the dangerous Adomah to push on and Stockdale needed to make a save.
Bruce responded to City's flat-lining attack by introducing Nick Proschwitz and Jay Simpson in a direct swap for Fryatt and Gedo, but the retention of Boyd in midfield failed to address the imbalance.
Brady's free-kick straight at Heaton was a rare effort on goal, yet it was Richard Foster who came closer when fizzing a low drive past Stockdale's right-hand upright.
City needed impetus from somewhere, anywhere, but not even referee Michael Oliver was listening. When Quinn went down in the area under a soft challenge from Greg Cunningham, a shake of the head told City to keep on trying.
The one chance the Tigers craved finally arrived in the first minute of stoppage time. Working the ball across from the right flank, Bristol City's defence was eased open enough for Meyler to bear down on goal, but Heaton saved well.
The final whistle dashed any lingering hopes rattling around the KC and ensured all eyes will turn to Vicarage Road this afternoon.
It could still be the weekend when the Tigers return to the Premier League, but this was not the path anyone had wanted to take.
